What a TV costs to run

A typical certified TV uses 184 kWh a year, about $33.49 at the U.S. average rate.

LCD, QLED and OLED televisions. Based on 175 models on the ENERGY STAR certified list.

Typical model184 kWhper year

Efficient model65 kWhbest 10% of models

High-use model338 kWhtop 10% in energy use

U.S. average cost$33.49per year, typical model

Cost by state

Typical TV, 184 kWh a year. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
Rank	State	Cents per kWh	Per year	Per month
1	Hawaii	46.41	$85.44	$7.12
2	California	32.58	$59.98	$5.00
3	Maine	30.23	$55.65	$4.64
4	Massachusetts	30.19	$55.58	$4.63
5	New York	29.26	$53.87	$4.49
6	Rhode Island	29.05	$53.48	$4.46
7	Connecticut	27.47	$50.57	$4.21
8	Alaska	27.32	$50.30	$4.19
9	New Hampshire	26.91	$49.54	$4.13
10	District of Columbia	24.86	$45.77	$3.81
11	New Jersey	24.09	$44.35	$3.70
12	Vermont	23.93	$44.06	$3.67
13	Michigan	21.73	$40.00	$3.33
14	Maryland	21.31	$39.23	$3.27
15	Pennsylvania	21.13	$38.90	$3.24
16	Illinois	19.23	$35.40	$2.95
17	Wisconsin	19.05	$35.07	$2.92
18	Ohio	18.81	$34.63	$2.89
19	Delaware	17.98	$33.10	$2.76
20	Indiana	17.04	$31.37	$2.61
21	Virginia	16.95	$31.20	$2.60
22	Colorado	16.80	$30.93	$2.58
23	Alabama	16.51	$30.39	$2.53
24	Minnesota	16.44	$30.27	$2.52
25	Texas	16.03	$29.51	$2.46
26	South Carolina	15.90	$29.27	$2.44
27	West Virginia	15.58	$28.68	$2.39
28	Georgia	15.48	$28.50	$2.37
29	Oregon	15.46	$28.46	$2.37
30	Arizona	15.36	$28.28	$2.36
31	New Mexico	15.34	$28.24	$2.35
32	Florida	15.32	$28.20	$2.35
33	Kansas	15.26	$28.09	$2.34
34	Mississippi	15.06	$27.73	$2.31
35	North Carolina	14.94	$27.50	$2.29
36	South Dakota	14.58	$26.84	$2.24
37	Iowa	14.55	$26.79	$2.23
38	Washington	14.42	$26.55	$2.21
39	Missouri	14.28	$26.29	$2.19
40	Kentucky	14.20	$26.14	$2.18
41	Montana	14.13	$26.01	$2.17
42	Wyoming	14.01	$25.79	$2.15
43	Oklahoma	13.81	$25.42	$2.12
44	Tennessee	13.80	$25.41	$2.12
45	Arkansas	13.74	$25.30	$2.11
46	Nevada	13.36	$24.60	$2.05
47	Louisiana	13.27	$24.43	$2.04
48	Utah	13.19	$24.28	$2.02
49	Idaho	13.02	$23.97	$2.00
50	Nebraska	12.92	$23.79	$1.98
51	North Dakota	12.46	$22.94	$1.91

Models that use the least electricity

Lower energy use often comes with a smaller size. Compare models of the size you need.
Model	Details	kWh per year	Cost per year, U.S. average
Clear Tunes ATSC-PM81331	13.23, LCD	18	$3.35
Emerson ATSC-PM81331	13.23, LCD	18	$3.35
Clear Tunes CT-1514S	15.55, LCD	20	$3.64
Clear Tunes CT-1385S	13.25, LCD	22	$4.02
Clear Tunes PDVA-PM31561	15.47, LCD	24	$4.42
Emerson PDVA-PM31561	15.47, LCD	24	$4.42
Emerson PDVA-PM81851	18.49, LCD	33	$5.95
Emerson ETC-1900S	18.5, Other	33	$6.00
Sansui LE-24T1	23.53, LCD	45	$8.22
Sansui LE-24VA1	23.6, LCD	46	$8.29
SANSUI, AMZFAST LE-24TA1	23.48, LCD	47	$8.49
Sansui LE-32KA1	31.37, LCD	52	$9.39
Sansui LE-32T1	31.5, LCD	54	$9.82
Sansui SMX32KAHV	31.5, LCD	57	$10.39
SCEPTRE X322BV-SRDD	31.51, LCD	60	$10.88

Brands with the most certified models

Brand	Models	Typical kWh per year
LG	63	210
Samsung	45	234
Sansui	26	123
PHILIPS	12	131
XITRIX	6	174
Hisense	5	336
Clear Tunes	4	21
Emerson	4	28
SANSUI, AMZFAST	2	56
Loewe	2	122

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a TV use?

A typical ENERGY STAR certified TV uses about 184 kWh a year. The most efficient 10% use 65 kWh or less. The 10% that use the most need 338 kWh or more.

How much does it cost to run a TV for a year?

About $33.49 at the U.S. average rate of 18.19 cents per kWh. It ranges from $22.94 in North Dakota to $85.44 in Hawaii.

How we get these numbers: yearly electricity use comes from the ENERGY STAR certified product lists, measured with the federal test procedure. The rate is the average residential price the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports for each state, January to August 2026. Your own bill depends on your utility, your plan and how you use the appliance. See sources.